Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives at Harare's national stadium with his wife Auxilia, before he takes the oath of office

Speaking to the erratic crowd, he paid tribute to Mugabe, classing him as "a father, mentor, comrade-in-arms and leader".

But Mnangagwa was quick to make note of the "errors" that had been made under Mugabe's rule.

Mnangagwa said: "I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa swear that as the president of the republic of Zimbabwe I will be faithful to Zimbabwe and obey, uphold and defend the constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe."

Insisting he felt "deeply humbled" to take the role, Mnangagwa added : "The task at hand is that of rebuilding our country.

Today, Emmerson said he felt 'humbled' to become Zimbabwe's second president since independence in 1980

Mugabe's 37-year reign came to a dramatic end on Tuesday. The world's oldest serving head of state resigned as parliament started to impeach him, a week to the day after the army stepped in to seize power.

At 93, he was the world's oldest head of state and was the only leader the country had known since its independence in 1980.

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Some of Mnangagwa's supporters have called for unspecified action against the "G40" group that backed Mugabe and his wife, known as "Gucci Grace" for her reputed dedication to shopping, an affront to many in a country with an unemployment rate of 90 percent.

According to local media reports, Mnangagwa offered the Mugabe family "maximum security and welfare".

But the Herald reported the former president had "expressed his good wishes and support for the incoming president".

Zimbabwe's neighbours appeared to offer Mnangagwa support on Friday. South African President Jacob Zuma congratulated the new president and the Southern African Development Community, an intergovernmental organisation, said it was ready to work closely with his government.

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